


Let's Talk About Dex, Baby

by chocoholic2



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: But they figure it out in the end, Denial, Dex and Nursey act like assholes, Dibs - Freeform, Everyone hates the LAX team, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2016-07-26
Packaged: 2018-07-24 17:21:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7516745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chocoholic2/pseuds/chocoholic2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Ransom and Holster wanted was to maintain the honored D-men attic mancave tradition. So why was Dex being such an asshole about dibs, and what did Nursey have to do with it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let's Talk About Dex, Baby

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Crystalized](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystalized/gifts).



> I'm not usually one to write – or even ship – NurseyDex, but the delightful [Crystalized](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystalized/profile) did me a solid and indulged my love of Chowder and the Sharks at Anime Expo, and for that, she deserves as much NurseyDex as I can physically produce (which is exactly this much).
> 
> Many, many thanks to [BaegentWashington](http://archiveofourown.org/users/RyanTheFreewoodGuy/pseuds/BaegentWashington) and [BakedHam](http://archiveofourown.org/users/BakedHam/pseuds/BakedHam) for betaing and signing off on this from a true shipper's perspective.

Dex was something else.

Every time Lardo needed anything – someone to help her fold towels after practice or to get something from the highest shelf in the kitchen or to help her lug a seven foot tall sculpture from the Haus to the student art studio – Dex was there, ready to lend a hand. He always seemed to pop up right when she needed him, despite his crazy demanding computer science classes. When she asked about it, he just went on and on in nerd speak about some program or something that made him able to access the lab computers from his laptop, so he could work from anywhere. Lardo didn’t really care, except for the fact that it made him available for any need, fancy or whim that popped into her head. It was ‘swawesome.

Shitty graduating had left a big gaping hole where her pliable man-servant used to be, and while technology had eased the transition in a lot of ways, there was still the fact that no one had managed to invent a long distance glue gun. So Dex was the next best thing. Better than that, really; he was a godsend.

Lardo hadn’t thought to ask him about it until almost the end of the semester.

They were both in the bathroom kneeling over a green concoction in the tub. Dex was stirring while Lardo poured handle after handle of alcohol into the tub, doubled-fisting like a pro.

“Keep stirring, bro, and if you’re good, I’ll tell you the secret recipe before I graduate.” Lardo said over the bubbly chugs of the emptying bottles.

“Sure, if you want,” Dex said without stopping. “I don’t really like tub juice though,” he said, eyeing the mixture as if something was going to crawl out of it and eat him.

“Seriously? Then why did you offer to help me make it?” Lardo asked skeptically. “No, better question: why are you always offering to help me with shit? I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s the greatest thing ever, and I will bedazzle everything you own if you try to stop, but I don’t get it, bro.”

Dex looked up to her, surprised. “I thought it was obvious. I want your dibs.”

“Ohhhh. Gotcha. It’s never too early to start, right?” She winked at him, receiving a small salute in return.

After a few moments though, a thought came to her. “But then why haven’t you been helping out Ransom and Holster? They're graduating too... If this is a sexist thing because I’m a girl, I’m not okay with that,” she chirped, laughing internally when Dex freaked out.

“What? No, no! That’s not it at all. It’s just that I don’t want Ransom or Holster’s dibs because…” he groaned, stirring harder. “Because I can’t room with Nurse next year.”

That was surprising. “What? But you guys are friends,” Lardo said, peeling the plastic off the top of a tequila bottle.

“I guess.” He shrugged.

“And you room together on roadies.”

This time, he cringed. “Exactly, and that’s how I know that I can’t live with him full time.”

“I don't get it. Does he snore or something?”

“No, it's just that…” He took his time finishing the thought, choosing his words carefully. “I think it would be better if we had our own space.”

Lardo was completely perplexed. “But you guys have been getting along so much better this year.”

“I don't know about that…” Dex’s face was doing something weird. It was almost… guilty, maybe?

“We’ve all noticed,” she continued. “Bitty and Chowder have been psyched because they’re usually the ones who get dragged into the middle of your fights, and there have only been a few this semester. You guys have been inseparable. Don't think I don't hear you two laughing together on the bus,” she chided, pointing a bottle of brandy at him accusingly. “ _And_ you let him sleep on you on the way home.”

“I don't let him, he just does it anyway,” Dex gritted out between his teeth, his prominent ears reddening every second.

“You could wake him up.”

It must have been the wrong thing to say.

“So just because I don't wake a guy up sometimes when he passes out after two hockey games in two days means that I have to share a bunk bed with him for two years?! That doesn't make any sense! I know everyone wants us to be buddy-buddy best friends like Ransom and Holster, but we're not like them. I just—I can't be around him like that all the time. I can't live with him and spend every waking _and_ sleeping hour with Nursey. He's already always in my ear and in my space and in my fucking head all the time!”

For a moment, neither of them said anything. Lardo gaped Dex as he tried to catch his breath. Finally, she just said, “Wow. Do you, like, hate him?”

“No, that's not—” he sighed, resting his head on the handle of the large yellow kiddie shovel that they used to stir the tub juice. “I don't hate him. I just find it difficult to be around him sometimes.”

“Do you want me to change your rooms for roadies?” she asked, concerned.

“No!” he blurted. “Uh, I mean… you don't have to if it's going to mess everything up.” He was clearly hedging and wouldn't meet her eye. “I can handle a few weekends a month until spring.”

She raised an eyebrow. “It's not a problem. I'll just switch you and Wicks or—”

“Really, it's fine. I do, um, like him,” he admitted. “Sometimes. I just don't think I can handle it every day.”

“Alright, bro… Just tell me if it gets bad or weird or whatever.” The situation was so bizarre. Why would Dex want to be Nursey’s road roomie but not his Haus roomie? Was it a superstition thing or did something go down between them? Either way, she hoped they figured it out, because she knew that no matter what Dex said, he and Nursey were meant to be attic roommates. It was a D-men Haus tradition.

But it’s not like she had to let Dex know that now, not when he was being such a help to her. She would promise him a million dibs if it meant he would still do all of her heavy lifting. “In the meantime,” she added, “you keep doing what you're doing and it's gonna be really hard not to give you my dibs.”

Dex allowed himself a small smile. “That's the goal.”

Lardo smirked. “Yeah, but not impossible, so less talking, more stirring.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

***

Things got complicated right after Spring C. Holster called a Haus meeting because something needed to be done immediately.

Ransom, Chowder and Bitty sat on the green couch with Lardo perched on the armrest, watching gravely as Holster paced in front of the TV.

“Gentlemen and Ladybro. I've called you all here because we have a serious situation on our hands.”

“Please tell me it's not the toilet again,” Bitty groaned.

“It's not the toilet. It's not anything like that. It's Whiskey.”

A set of four different confused expressions looked up at him.

“What's wrong with Whiskey?”

“Is he okay?!!”

“What did he do now?”

“Does this have to do with those lacrosse douchebags again?”

“Whiskey is fine… for now,” Holster responded ominously. “But he _is_ at it again with the fucking LAX team. I overheard him and that Fox kid during Spring C. They were talking… about finding an apartment together!”

Holster was immensely gratified by the four horrified gasps he got in response, confirming his instinct that this was a Big Fucking Deal.

“I don't know if a hockey player has ever committed such a horrendous act of treason against his bros,” he continued. “I like Whiskey, but I will not hesitate to make his life a living hell if he seriously tries to live with those fucking assholes. We have to stop this atrocity before it actually happens.”

“Agreed,” declared Ransom. “I can't believe he would betray us like that.”

“And after I made him that whiskey cake for his birthday last month,” huffed Bitty, arms crossed in a pout.

“I think one of March’s teammates on the volleyball team has an uncle in the mafia. Do we make the Fox kid ‘disappear’?” Ransom suggested. “Go Tony Soprano on his ass?”

"Or better yet, I can take away his pie privileges… _forever.”_

Chowder gasped. “That would be awful!”

Holster shushed them. “My hope is that we never need to resort to such drastic measures. We don't need to punish him if he never does anything wrong.”

By this point, all of his Hausmates were anxiously leaning forward. “So what's your plan?” Lardo asked.

Holster rubbed at the blond stubble on his chin. “I was thinking we make him an offer he can't refuse,” he said dramatically. “We give him dibs.”

The tone in the living room changed immediately, filling with sounds of approval. “Oh, that would be totally ‘swawesome!” Chowder exclaimed.

Holster went on. “He won't be able to turn down dibs, especially if we sweeten the deal.” He turned to Bitty. “Bits, you have sway with Jack. You think you can get him to hang out with Whiskey when he's here or, like, get him tickets to a Falcs game or something?”

Ransom sat up, turning to look over at Bitty. “Oh yeah, that's a good idea. Kid has a mad mancrush on your boy, Bits.”

Bitty made a strangled sound. “What do you mean, ‘my boy’?” He laughed almost hysterically. “You guys are so funny.”

“Just that you and Jack still talk and stuff,” answered Ransom. “You're the best at keeping in touch with him and Shitty.”

“Oh!” said Bitty, relaxing. “I guess that’s true.”

“So next time you talk, just mention it to Jack and see if he can help us out,” said Holster.

Bitty smiled smugly, “I can guarantee that he will want to help. He still hasn't forgiven the lacrosse guys for the subwoofer incident of 2014. That boy knows how to hold a grudge…” Then he added, “Besides, I think he likes Whiskey.”

“Okay, that's settled,” Holster declared, clapping his hands decisively. “Now we just seal the deal.” He turned to Lardo. “I know it's a big ask, Lardo, but we can't let a frog fall over to the dark side. You're down to give Whiskey your dibs, right?”

She scrunched her face in response. “Me? I mean, I guess, but I was planning on giving my dibs to Dex. He's been working his ass off for me for like six months.”

“I thought I was giving my dibs to Dex,” said Ransom. “And then Holtzy was giving his to Nursey to maintain the honored D-men attic mancave tradition.”

Lardo shifted on the armrest to face Ransom on the other side of the couch. “That's the thing. Dex came to me ages ago and said he didn't want to live with Nursey.”

Holster eyes bugged out behind his glasses. “But that doesn't make any sense! They’re already roommates on the road. And they're always together.”

They were literally inseparable. It was a running joke that if you wanted to find Nursey, just go find Dex. They even chirped him, declaring Dex the captain of Nursey Patrol. Lardo had already painted a C onto a neon safety vest Holster “rescued” from the Lost and Found at Faber to give him the title in a more literal manner at their next kegster.

“I don't get it either,” said Lardo. “Although, he told me this a while ago, so maybe he's changed his mind since then.”

“Can we overrule him? Do we have that authority?” Chowder asked nervously, sandwiched between Bitty and Ransom.

“Technically, chyeah bro,” Lardo responded. “Though I don’t know if there’s a precedent for it. I’ll have to ask Shitty.”

“We can give our dibs to anyone we want,” Holster assured them. He resumed pacing, addressing his men – and woman – with conviction, drawing on every movie battle scene he’d ever seen. “Dex might be pissed, but he hates the lacrosse team as much as any of us. I think even he would understand that this is bigger than him. It's bigger than all of us, and he can deal with it and live with Nursey to save the sanctity of the Samwell Men’s Hockey team.”

“Yeah!” yelled Ransom. “Besides, I don't think he _really_ meant it. Sure Dex and Nursey bicker, but it's not the way they used to. It's more like the way Jack and Bitty used to argue about dumb stuff like pecans—”

“It’s _pecans_!”

“—and they turned out okay. They're tighter than ever. Right, Bitty?”

“Um, yes? Yes.”

Holster vaguely acknowledged the weird way Bitty was responding to anything related to Jack and filed it away for later. There were much more important things to deal with right now. “So that's settled,” he said. “Lardo will give her dibs to Whiskey and save that kid from himself. Rans and I will give our dibs to Dex and Nursey, just as the hockey gods intended, and the lacrosse team can go fuck themselves!”

His Hausmates cheered and all jumped up, smiling.

As they shuffled out of the living room to get back to whatever they had been doing, Holster stopped Ransom and whispered, “Dex is probably gonna be hella pissed.”

“Eh, he’ll get over it.”

***

Except then things got really bad the week before finals.

As a group, the graduating seniors agreed that they would all give their dibs out on the same day, make it a sort of surprise holiday and mini kegster for current and future Hausmates. Ransom invited Dex over with the excuse that they were going on a beer run to prepare for the #MostEpikegster2016 – Ransom, Holster and Lardo’s crowning jewel of ‘swawesome end-of-the-year parties, putting everything they had learned over the past four years to the test.

Ransom was just about to leave the Haus with Dex in tow when Lardo and Whiskey met them in the entryway. Whiskey looked dazed, but happy as Lardo followed him in with a smug expression on her face.

“You okay, Whiskey?” Dex asked.

Whiskey flicked his bangs out of his eye and smiled, shockingly. “Lardo just gave me her dibs. I'm going to be living in the Haus next year.”

Ransom was about to congratulate him when Dex _exploded._ “Seriously? What the fuck?! Lardo, I thought we had an agreement!” He practically shook with anger. Ransom had lived with Jack, so basically nothing could scare him, but Dex was livid, and, like, it was intense.

Lardo looked remorseful, but stood her ground. She was such a badass bro. “'I'm sorry, Dex, but it’s not official until we shake on it. And Ransom really wanted to give you his dibs.”

Ransom knew that this was the story they agreed on, but that didn't make the glare that Dex now directed at him any less alarming. But he was a D-man too; he was used to guys trying to intimidate him. He ignored Dex’s fury and put a hand on his shoulder in a fatherly gesture. “Dude, you reprogrammed my kegster Excel doc to be four times more effective. That's like, automatic dibs in my book. It should be impossible, but you did it.”

“And so you thought you would reward me by making me sleep in the top bunk for the rest of my college career?” Dex shouted, his ears becoming impossibly red.

“Hey, chicks dig the top bunk! It's the shit. And besides, we all assumed you'd be cool living with Nursey.”

“Oh great! This is just perfect,” Dex groaned. “What part of ‘I don't want to live with Nurse’ do you guys not understand?!” he roared.

Ransom pulled his hand away from Dex, not looking at him, but at Holster and Nursey, who had just walked in behind him, just in time to catch all of Dex’s outburst.

“Oh shit,” said Holster, eyes wide.

Dex whipped around to find himself face to face with Nursey, and suddenly, he seemed more guilty than angry.

Nursey on the other hand looked pissed. “So that's how it's gonna be, Poindexter. You hate me after all.”

“Nursey, that's not it. I just—”

He got cut off. “It's chill, bro. I thought we were friends, but we’re not. My mistake.” Nursey tried to push past Dex and into the Haus, but Dex stopped him.

“We are friends. You have to believe that,” he insisted, blocking his way. Then he lowered his head and grumbled, “But just because we’re friends doesn't mean we should be roommates.”

Nursey scoffed. “We’re roommates on roadies. Do you hate that too?”

“No!” Dex cried out, voice cracking. “I like spending time with you, but I don't know if I can handle being around you all the time.”

It was a weird confession, and Nursey wasn’t having any of it. “So you only _mostly_ hate me. What a relief. Now leave me alone, Dex. That way you don't have to be around me so much.”

“Cut it out, Nursey. You know what I mean. You have to feel it too, when it gets too... intense.” He looked down and away, the anger that had built up in his shoulders dropping way only to be replaced with something else that Ransom couldn't place. When he looked over at Holster, he was just doing his best impression of the awkward teeth emoji. Lardo watched on with wide eyes, one hand resting on the side of her face. The only one of them who seemed unworried by it all was Whiskey, who never really seemed bothered by anything, actually.

Nursey crossed his arms angrily.  "Whatever, Dex. It's chill,” he said in a tone that suggested it was anything but. “I didn't want to live with you either, not if you think I'm too intense to be around.”

“That's not what I meant!” Dex groaned, frustration returning. “God, Nurse, do you have to be so melodramatic about everything?”

“Oh, and I guess I'm too melodramatic too,” Nursey laughed bitterly. “Any other faults or flaws you want to share with the class, Poindexter?”

“See, this is what I mean. Every little thing between us blows up.”

“Which is always my fault!”

“That's not what I said!”

“What the devil is going on down here?” shouted Bitty, storming down the stairs with Chowder following not far behind. “I thought today was Dibs Day. Why are y’all shouting so much?”

“Dex is being an asshole,” Nursey said immediately.

“Hey!” cried Dex in response. He looked like he might try to take a swing at Nursey, and Nursey looked like he might throw a punch right back.

Thankfully, Lardo stepped in to separate the two of them. “Whoa there, boys. He's got a point, Dex. No one has ever had such a negative reaction to the possibility of dibs before.”

Ransom added, “None of us understand why you don't want to live in the attic with Nursey.”

“Sure you fight, but deep down, we all know you love each other,” said Holster, really selling the dorky dad advice with his glasses, shorts and flip-flops.

It worked too, at least on Nursey, who pouted like a kid who knew he had one something wrong. Dex on the other hand, reacted as if Holster had just read his diary out loud. His eyes flicked to Nursey, and Nursey glanced back, a weird tension growing between them.

“Fine, whatever. I'll take your dibs,” Dex muttered.

“Excuse me?” Nursey said in disgust, staring at Dex.

Dex however had his eyes fixed on Ransom. “I said, Ransom, I'll accept your dibs, if you still want to give them to me.”

Before Ransom could respond, Nursey said, “Who says I even want to live with you anymore?”

“Chill out, Nursey,” said Lardo, still maintaining the space between them. “They're technically Ransom’s dibs and he can give them to anyone he wants.” All of the current Haus residents nodded.

Ransom ignored Nursey, and responded directly to Dex. “You sure, bro?” he asked concernedly.

Dex sighed. “You know how sometimes you feel like you're fighting the inevitable? Well this feels like that. Everyone keeps pushing us together, so might as well give in.”

“Don't sound so enthusiastic,” said Nursey sarcastically.

“Nursey,” warned Lardo. She gave him a stern look that made it clear the discussion was over.

“Whatever.” Nursey stormed off into the living room, the rest of Hausmates – current and future – watching, stunned.

Ransom shook his head. “Alright, now that whatever the fuck that was is over, can we get back to the important shit?” He turned back to Dex. “William ‘Dex’ Poindexter, do you solemnly swear to uphold the honored Haus traditions and carry on the proud line of Defensemen attic solidarity?”

“Whatever, dude, let's just do this.”

Ransom pulled his hand away. “Nuh-uh. This is a big deal. Take it seriously, man! Do you swear it?”

“Yes! Yes, I swear it. Now can we just do this? I'm starting to get freaked out by all of you staring at me.” It was true. His flush was a deep Samwell red.

Ransom squared his shoulders, stood up tall and held his hand out ceremoniously. After a split-second hesitation, Dex grabbed it and shook. The others whooped as Ransom pulled him in for a bro hug, clapping him fondly on the back.

“Then I now pronounce you Haus and mate,” said Holster as they broke apart. Chowder and Bitty clapped as if it were a real wedding.

Lardo punched Dex lightly on the arm. “We’re glad you're starting to pull your head out of your ass. Now go make up with Nursey. Can't let the Haus dynamic get messed up before the year even starts.”

Once again, Dex made a strange face, somewhere between frustrated and guilty and… something else. Ransom honestly had no idea what to make of it. “I… I'm gonna give him some space for now,” Dex said. “I promise I'll do it before the end of the year, though.”

Ransom threw an arm over his shoulder. “You're gonna love it, I'm telling you. And once you and Nursey start rubbing off on each other a little more, it will get even better.”

Dex made a garbled noise, as if choking on his own spit.

“Yeah!” Holster added excitedly. “There's nothing like bunking up with your best bro to make you realize how much you love each other.”

“Bro!” Ransom pushed past Dex – who made some awkward noise and tried to make himself as small as possible – and pulled Holster over into a huge hug. “I love you, too, man. You're gonna make me cry in front of the frog.”

“I don't mind,” Whiskey responded, leaning nonchalantly on the doorframe.

“Good heavens, this calls for celebratory Dibs Day pie!” exclaimed Bitty.

“Hell yes!” Ransom had been looking forward to this pie all day. As they all started heading for the kitchen, he added, “Oh, and Whiskey, if you ever invite any of those lacrosse douchebags you call friends onto this property, Holster and I will come back here and make you eat your own jockstrap. Got it?”

“Uh…yes…”

“Good.”

***

The day after graduation was crazy hot and humid, especially up in the Haus attic. Holster and Ransom had finally finished clearing out all of their stuff, so Nursey was in the process of bringing over his boxes to store in the Haus for the summer. He was staring at the closet, trying to figure out which side he wanted to take when he heard someone clearing their voice behind him. He turned around to see Dex carrying a plastic bin in front of him.

“Hey Nursey,” he said quietly.

“Hey, man.” They had barely spoken since Dibs Day, hadn't studied together for finals or even hung out during #MostEpikegster2K16. It was weird. Nursey was still a little bit upset – more hurt than angry, although he would never say it – but he missed Dex.

“Mind if I load in a few things too?”

Nursey shrugged. “Do whatever you want.”

“Thanks, man.”

They carried in boxes and unloaded them in relative silence, the tension between them filling the attic like rising smoke in a fire.

About an hour later, they both were just about done, and the relief of having something to occupy their hands and minds rapidly disappeared only to be replaced with unbearable awkwardness. Nursey didn't _do_ awkward. If this continued, it was going to be a long two years...

The weirdness finally got so bad that Dex broke the silence. “Can we talk about this? Like civilized adults?”

“I don't know, can we?” he retorted

Dex took a deep breath, as if to start laying into Nursey, but he stopped himself, exhaling slowly. “I want to apologize for saying those things on Dibs Day and for making it seem like we weren't friends. You have to know I like you, Nurse. I wouldn't put up with you if I didn't.”

Nursey crossed him arms. “This is turning into a great apology,” he muttered sarcastically.

“Ugh! Can you just—” Dex caught himself again, sighing. “I'm trying here, okay. This is… not easy for me. On a lot of levels. And I'm going to make this work, even if it's hard.”

“Well I'm sorry I'm so difficult to live with,” Nursey huffed bitterly.

“Look, would it make you feel better if I said it wasn't your fault?” He clenched his hands into fists over and over again as he spoke, as if trying to hold himself back from… something. But what? “I didn’t want to drag you into my personal shit to begin with, which is why I said I didn’t want to room with you. But I'm handling it and getting over my issues, so you really don't need to worry. I'm going to get my shit together before next year starts.” Then he added in a whisper, “I have to.”

Nursey just stared at Dex. “Dude, you are so baffling. First you're throwing all my flaws in my face, now you’re blaming yourself for all of this?” He exhaled loudly, and for the first time since this happened, he tried to see this from Dex’s perspective. “I appreciate the contrition and all that, but if we’re really friends, like you keep saying we are, why don't you tell me what the real problem is? I promise, I can handle it.”

“I can’t...” Dex said, suddenly... embarrassed? Self-conscious? No, that couldn’t be right. But then why was he was _blushing_?

And then, without warning, it all came together. It was like Dex’s feelings and intentions had been underwater, blurry, distorted and farther away than they appeared, but suddenly Nursey could see.

It was now impossible to miss the way Dex couldn't meet his eyes, his glance flicking from his bare arms, down to the floor, then back up to his mouth. Sure, Nursey might be wrong. It's not like Dex had been broadcasting Big Gay Feelings for Nursey; in fact, it was much more the opposite, hiding everything and protesting too much. But Nursey had spent way too much time with Dex to miss those occasional glances when he thought no one was looking. The thing was... Nursey was always looking.

He decided to test his theory and took a step towards Dex. Then another.

Dex took a step backwards. “What are you doing?”

“Will you shut up, Dex, and let me try something?”

He closed the distance and put his hands on Dex’s shoulders, rubbing his thumbs along the freckles on his collarbone.

Dex was breathless, amber eyes wide and bright. “Why are you—”

“Admit it: you didn't want to room with me because you’re afraid of this.” To make his point, he slowly dragged his left thumb from Dex’s collarbone to his neck, gently sliding along the hinge of his jaw.

Dex gulped, and Nursey’s eyes latched onto the bobbing of his Adam’s apple. “That's not exactly it.”

“Okay, enlighten me. What was it?”

Dex took a deep breath, some excuse likely waiting in the back of his throat, but that’s not what Nursey got. Somehow, the truth ripped from him like a puck flying across the ice.

“It’s that you never keep your goddamn shirt on. Every time we share a room, you parade around those fucking abs around like it's nothing. It's not nothing! It's not good for my health!” he blurted out.

Nursey couldn't help it. Despite his surprise, he smirked. “You like my abs, Dex?”

Dex didn’t answer the question, but just kept on ranting. “And why can’t you sing terribly in the shower instead of sounding like fucking John Legend or something? It's not normal. And your fucking cologne lingers for hours! How am I just supposed to sit at my desk and do my homework and not care or anything while everything smells like you?! And it's one thing when we’re on the road because it's only ever a few days at a time, but now, there's no getting away from you. I already have to act normal and pretend as if you’re not constantly in my head, and now I have to do it when we fucking share a bedroom?”

He looked flushed, fuming, hysterical and absolutely fucking adorable. Nursey couldn’t take his eyes off him, but he also couldn’t help chirping him. “Anything else you want to tell me, Dex?” he laughed.

Suddenly, Dex’s irritation shifted into something darker, and he tried to move out from inside Nursey’s arms. “Stop messing with me, Nurse. I don't want to fight about this.”

Nursey just held on tighter. “Chill, bro. Who said we’re fighting?" He smiled and licked his lips, waiting until Dex met his eyes. "The way I see it, we have two options. I can apologize for making you all hot and bothered and always wear a shirt around you and we can be awkward about this forever, or…” He slid his right hand down from Dex’s shoulder to his wrist, pulling his hand forward to rest on his own stomach. “We can run with it.”

“What… what the fuck are you doing?” Dex asked, his voice a rough whisper. His hand betrayed him though, as his fingers splayed out and pressed into Nursey abs. His other hand came up to clutch at Nursey’s bicep, as his arm was still extended and stroking Dex’s neck.

“What does it look like I'm doing?” Nursey responded, his voice low and gravelly in his ears. “I'm taking your weird awkwardness and turning it into something mutually beneficial.”

Slowly, inch by inch, they seemed to gravitate toward each other. “This is a terrible idea,” said Dex, although his face was saying something totally different.

“No it’s not. It’s a great idea.”

“Nursey.” Dex looked uncertain and about to jump out of his skin with nerves, despite the fact that there was now very little space between them.

Nursey chuckled. “Dude, you have no chill. What is your hesitation? We both want this.” Weirdly, Dex actually looked surprised at that.

 _Oh_ , Nursey thought to himself. Dex still didn't get it. He would just have to clarify it for him then. “I want you too, Dex. I've thought you were smoking hot from literally day one.” The flush that bloomed on Dex’s face and neck – and likely even further down – caused a burst of pride in Nursey’s chest. “Now let's freak out the attic ghosts and make out in the top bunk until you forget you didn't want Ransom’s dibs.”

“Ugh… Nursey!” Dex tried to pull away again, but only half-heartedly.

Nursey grinned. He had one last trick up his sleeve to get Dex onboard with this amazing, totally ‘swawesome plan.

“Come on, I'll take my shirt off.”

Dex glanced down to his stomach. “... Fine,” he eventually said, putting up a begrudging front.  But a celly broke out inside Nursey’s head as he started climbing onto the top bunk, scrambling up as fast as he could go.  He pulled himself onto the bed and looked down at Nursey, eyes dark and biting his lip suggestively. “You coming, bro?”

Nursey didn’t answer; he just pulled off his shirt and followed Dex up onto the top bunk.

This was gonna be great.

**Author's Note:**

> Come chat with me on Twitter! I'm [@Chocoholic2_](http://twitter.com/chocoholic2_) and I apologize in advance for the overabundance of all-caps tweets.


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